I often find myself in the midst of such bad luck and bad plays in NL (no limit) hold’em that I force myself to either switch sites, go to lower the limits or take a clean break from playing. If the latter is as for you to do as it was me, then the solution may be a different match. Omaha High-Low is a different game than NL hold’em for sure, but the skills you’ve developed in hold’em can pay off much more consistently in Omaha Hi-Lo.
With the help of a book like Bill Boston’s Omaha High-Low, you can be good at this game in a matter of a few sessions. After reading this book, I started playing 10 buck Omaha Hi-Lo sit and go tournaments at Party Poker, and with no experience at all had a 50% win rate after 12 games for a good 220 bucks. Worth 20 bucks for a book that has been published for so long. many years as on an independently produced guide, but is now picked up by Cardoza Publishing and presented in a soft cover version.
Bill Boston used a very popular program called Turbo Omaha High Low Split by Wilson Software, testing various Omaha Hi-Lo hands against random flops. (Same programmer of software called Turbo Texas Hold’em, used by Sklansky, Ferguson, Raymer among other pros) Combine this research with years of experience in that game and this book makes a solid foundation for profitable play.
What holdem requires players to be aware of with this game, even with pot limit betting, is that it is generally not a game of bluffing. So the good hands you do pay off, especially when scooping high and low hands. Boston emphasizes this throughout, and has played this way successfully for years. This kind of strategic showdown play, can be a relief for wimpy holdem players, more getting pushed around. You really can’t do that in Omaha Hi-Lo, unless certain rare conditions are in question.
Unfortunately, Boston doesn’t get into tournament poker playing with this book, focusing primarily on the 10/20 ring game, which leaves a lot to explain for us tournament players. On the good side, an analysis of hands for strength will give every strength player knowing when to get in the hand or not. This is really important information and will save you a huge amount of stress, in effect avoiding difficult decisions during hands.
A good part of the book is the table of values associated with each and every Omaha hand combination. It is very scientific looking, but if you peruse through some of the hand combinations and see how they can lose money, it is very concerning. In this game, many of the hands you are dealt look good, but it’s just a loser’s money. This is what separates the winners from the losers, the amateurs from the professionals. The ability to throw strong hands is much emphasized here in the balance knowing that even if you do win, your pot may split some way. Certainly a good read and if you combine it with the Lou Krieger Poker Player Bible who has an extensive chapter on Omaha Hi-Lo, and you’re on your way to professional, profitable play.